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Beinn a'Ghlo for plan B

Beinn a'Ghlo for plan B


Postby mrssanta » Mon Oct 28, 2013 9:46 pm

Route description: Beinn a' Ghlò

Munros included on this walk: Bràigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain, Càrn Liath (Beinn a' Ghlò), Càrn nan Gabhar

Date walked: 24/10/2013

Time taken: 8 hours

Distance: 22 km

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CWH was off on a school trip which involved catching a bus from the School car park at 2.15am on Thursday and getting back at 2am on Monday morning.
Not sure who had the bright idea of dropping her off then setting off up the road to finish some unfinished business in the Bridge of Orchy hills, but not something I recommend doing again. Especially with a rotten cold.
Anyway as it happened the forecast for the East was a lot better than the West for Thursday, and it was equally horrible everywhere on Friday and Saturday so we decided to head for plan B, Bheinn a'Ghlo with the option of bailing to the in-laws in Aboyne. :D
CWH had my camera on her expedition leaving me with the old one, which is heavy, not waterproof, takes so long to warm up that it is no good on a moving target, and you can't see what you're taking in the wee display thing as it is so small. Oh, and the memory card only holds 40 pictures. :( The batteries last forever though :lol:

oops didnt mean to submit it quite yet, I will now add the rest of the report! :oops:

We went the "standard" walkhighlands route so I will not put the gps track on here. we were ready to leave the wee car parking area at Loch Moraig at 8am. The day looked full of promise but Carn Liath was teasing us with a misty hat.

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Loch Moraig in the early morning

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Carn Liath with a hat of mist. The path up the side is very obvious from a distance, but in fact is in remarkably good condition when you are on it.

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Lots of Brocken Spectres appeared and disappeared as the mist blew in and out with the sun. This is a feeble attempt at photographing one - exposure all wrong and me and camera too slow!

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after about two hours from the car we reached the first summit, carn Liath, but the top was in mist. Rudolph on the top

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and me.

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This is where we are heading. we could see bits of the ridge ahead and it was very windy and chilly.

About halfway up Carn Liath we were caught up by a very smiley black and white collie who brought us a lump of heather and then ran off. we couldn't see anyone with her but she looked happy enough. We saw her ears sticking up from the summit as we were coming down the other side of Carn Liath, but still no human with her.
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Rudolph on the second summit at 11.15 or so. clag again. Never mind

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and me, feeling the need of a sit-down!

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clearing up a bit, now beginning to see the expansive views round about

we wew caught up again by the friendly black and white collie who this time was accompanied by an equally friendly cousin, but still no human could we see until we were halfway up the third hill.
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top of Carn nan Gabhar - at last, no clag on the top, and looking towards the trig point, south of the summit cairn

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and me scuse the hair, I said it was windy!

At the summit of Carn nad Gabhar we were finally caught up by the two friendly collies and their human companion, who introduced Millie the retired rescue dog (explaining why she kept coming to make sure we were OK), and Molly the famous Corbetteer, the first dog to complete the corbetts. Delighted to meet you folks!
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=21910
We had considered the idea of going back over the summits and certainly the day was improving and they would likely be clag-free, but the long drive and the viruses were taking their toll and I did not want to go up any more! so we descended by the "usual" route down the famously boggy path. Actually it was not nearly as bad as we expected, although boggy in places I've seen worse!
It was turning into a lovely afternoon and we had some views in the end
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Looking towards Lairig Ghru with Devil's Point clearly visible

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Looking down towards Glen Tilt

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The track back to Loch Moaraig in the afternoon sun

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Loch Moraig from the track - nearly home now.

We got back to the car just after 4pm, a good time we thought.
Looks like the next trip north will not be until 2014, so we will have to make do with our very pleasing total of 28 Munros this year.
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mrssanta
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Re: Beinn a'Ghlo for plan B

Postby basscadet » Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:17 am

Oh looked like a good day :) Brocken spectres are nice.. Took me years to spot one :lol:
Looked like a really bonny walk back as well.. I carried on through to Braemar via some other hills when I did these to avoid the walk, but I was possibly wrong to do so by the looks of things :)
Always unerving to find a dog without an owner, happened to me a couple of times, and I never know what to do :? so good you caught up with its owner :wink:
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basscadet
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Re: Beinn a'Ghlo for plan B

Postby robertphillips » Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:06 pm

Well done mrs s and Rudolph, :clap: nice wee route this, done it in a horrible wet day.
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robertphillips
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Re: Beinn a'Ghlo for plan B

Postby mrssanta » Tue Oct 29, 2013 11:35 pm

basscadet wrote: Brocken spectres are nice.. Took me years to spot one :lol:
:

we never saw one till this year on Ciste Dubh, and now that's twice in one year.
we were thinking of going on to do Glas Tulaichan and the ones round there on the way to Aboyne, but we had done enough after the long drive and considering the weather forecast, also I did something to my knee and after half an hour in the car I could barely walk. :( It's fine now tho so I don't know what that was.
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mrssanta
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Re: Beinn a'Ghlo for plan B

Postby mrssanta » Wed Oct 30, 2013 12:03 am

robertphillips wrote:Well done mrs s and Rudolph, :clap: nice wee route this, done it in a horrible wet day.

Thanks Robert, we've been lucky with the weather this year.
Good to see Renee out on the hills as well! :D
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mrssanta
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Re: Beinn a'Ghlo for plan B

Postby Silverhill » Wed Oct 30, 2013 7:44 pm

Well done on such a miserable day and with a cold! :clap: The mist in some pictures makes it all look very mysterious. I suppose you chose an apt day to match the Gaelic meaning of this mountain. 8)
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Re: Beinn a'Ghlo for plan B

Postby Collaciotach » Wed Oct 30, 2013 8:20 pm

A good day on a nice wee hill .... I did it in reverse but also found the path no too bad :D
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Re: Beinn a'Ghlo for plan B

Postby mrssanta » Thu Oct 31, 2013 12:27 am

Silverhill wrote:Well done on such a miserable day and with a cold! :clap: The mist in some pictures makes it all look very mysterious. I suppose you chose an apt day to match the Gaelic meaning of this mountain. 8)

Yes the mist was very interesting for making Brocken Spectres but we had hoped for clear tops - never mind, can't have everything.
Collaciotach wrote:A good day on a nice wee hill .... I did it in reverse but also found the path no too bad :D

Yes indeed I do like the big views you get in the East. The bogs on Carn Bhac were a lot worse.
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mrssanta
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